Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : September 09, 2012

Gaurav Prabhakar of Chandigarh again proved that he is among the top rallyists of the country by ranking numero uno in the Renault Speed Sprint Zap (rally-prepared vehicles) category at Renault Speed Sprint, the first motorsport event of its kind held in Chandigarh on September 9. Prabhakar drove a Subaru Forester for the speed contest.

Bobby Bhogal of Delhi, driving a modified Zen, ranked first in the Renault Speed Sprint Cross (including all types of four-wheelers) category at the event.

Mohit Verma of Chandigarh was overall fastest and ranked first in the Renault Speed Sprint Moto (Mobikes only) category, followed by Gaurav Pratap Singh of Panchkula ranking second in this category. The event was held near the Botanical Garden adjoining Khuda Lahora village today.

Such was the enthusiasm of speed lovers that the event was overbooked, and all places were taken up by moto enthusiasts from the region. “We were overbooked in the Moto category and the Cross category. In Moto, we had 40 slots, and finally had 52 riders vying for the top slot. In Cross, we had 70 slots and ultimately went up to a total of 78. All the positions in the Zap category were also taken up,” said Gulpreet Aulakh, one of the organizers.

Chandigarh Police gave excellent support services for this high-speed, all tarmac event held in the periphery of Chandigarh. PCR Gypsies remained stationed at the spot throughout the course of the event, from 7 am to 5.30 pm. The area had been entirely cordoned off for traffic by Chandigarh Traffic Police. The police ambulance was stationed at the spot too.

The prize distribution ceremony was held late in the evening amidst much gaiety and cheer at Hotel Rio in Sector 43 Chandigarh. Prizes were distributed by Mr. Aakib Gundal from Renault India, the title sponsor of the event.

MORE ABOUT RENAULT SPEED SPRINT

On the second Sunday of September – September 9, Chandigarh witnessed the first event of its kind in north India. A road in the periphery of the city – and within the jurisdiction of UT – was going to be cordoned off for routine traffic. The 5-kilometer stretch of the double lane tarmac road was home to a single-stage high speed event. And the competitor who clocks the distance in the shortest time was the winner in his/her category.

The Renault Speed Sprint is a thrill ride for racing lovers of all hues. All places in all categories of the event were lapped up for this much-awaited motorsport event.

You could do it on a mobike, a car/SUV, or in a four-wheeler prepared especially for rallying. The day-long event was organized by Team Chandigarh Adventure Sports, with due permissions given by the UT Administration and Chandigarh Police. Renault Speed Sprint is governed by the stringent safety regulations of the Federation of Motorsport Clubs of India (FMSCI). The event will be begin at about 8 am, and will come to a close in the evening.

Two stewards deputed by FMSCI, Adil Nagorwala and Nikhil Taneja, observed the event on behalf of the federation.

The event will call for not just high speed driving, but also highly skilled driving, with extreme control on part of driver in negotiating the same. The track will incorporate challenging aspects like tight turns, high speed dips and jumps as well as elevation changes. Take along the pressure of competitive driving, and the event becomes a very absorbing spectacle. Competition is further enhanced as the sprint rally format allows the drivers two chances to drive on the track and improve upon his timing results. Best time out of the two outings is taken for evaluations and classification of winners.

Since the track is laid out over a small area, the viewership improves and makes up for some incredible spectator friendly spaces. The layout of the track allows separate access to spectators from an independent entry. Hence, even as the races are on, the spectators can come and view from a safe distance, and leave independently. The event has a full safety plan back-up with two trauma ambulances, which will be available on the site.

The medical back-up for the event is being provided by Atulya Healthcare, Sector 8, Chandigarh. For medical evacuation in case any participant is injured, Renault Speed Sprint will have three ambulances stationed on site, including one trauma ambulance. Renowned orthopaedic surgeon of Chandigarh, Dr Harinder Pal Singh Batth, will remain present during the course of the event. Dr Batth is an FMSCI and FIA approved orthopaedic specialist.

Such is the thrill of motorsport that entries poured in from all parts of north India for the three categories of the event. This includes 15 superbikes coming from various parts of Punjab for the Renault Speed Sprint.

Renault SpeedSprint Cross – For all types and makes of four-wheeler. No special preparation needed except a road worthy with seat belts and driver wearing a BIS approved helmet.

Renault SpeedSprint Zap – Open only to four-wheelers prepared as per FMSCI regulations governing rally sports. Roll cage and other safety mandated feature are a must. An out and out extreme speed event.

Renault SpeedSprint Moto – Open for two wheelers conforming the FMSCI safety regulations as applicable to rallying.

There is also an all women’s category, and another category for novices, which will offer a lower set of challenges.

Each category is sub-divided in to groups and classes for classifications.

The scope of Renault Speed Sprint format means:

Fastest driver wins

Multiple drivers can share a single vehicle

Multiple vehicle can be driven by single driver

Multiple races can be entered

Fee is per race entry

There are seven slots each in Renault Speed Sprint Moto, Renault Speed Sprint Cross and Renault Speed Sprint Zap, depending on the CC of the vehicle. Trophies in each category are up for grabs.

There can be a maximum of 40 entries in Renault Speed Sprint Moto, 70 in Renault Speed Sprint Cross, and 50 in Renault Speed Sprint Zap. For Renault Speed Sprint Moto, there are entries of imported bikes and superbikes, and champion rallyists from north India. These include Phil Matthai of Delhi, a regular winner at Autocross; Abhishek Mishra of Jaipur, a Desert Storm winner, Naveen Goel, an Autocross and Desert Storm class winner, and various other rallyists.

The event has no mass start. Each participant in each category will be given an individual time start. The finish time is going to be monitored by a laser beam trip, so that it is accurate to the fraction of a second.

For further details, check out speedsprint.in. The event is being organized by Team Chandigarh Adventure Sports in association with Incarnation Sports. Team Chandigarh Adventure Sports is a city-based motorsport club formed about five years ago. Some of the other events organized by the club are OYA Autocross, the Padam Chevrolet Fun Car Rally, the DLF Women on Wheels, and the santabanta rally.

The core group organising the event comprises Nikhil Jaspal (92166-05706), Gulpreet Aulakh (9888522222) and Sudev Barar (09810028299), all of them rallyists and motorsport enthusiasts.

So welcome to the latest innovation in rallying. A single closed stage that is used for super fast driving. The rally held over the course of single day. A quick and tight format to allow for high level of competition, and rules that allow for multiple runs to improve timings.

Participants can share vehicles so that multiple drivers can drive a single vehicle to keep overall cost low. For dedicated speedsters, it also means that they can try out more than one vehicle on the track and compare the agility and ability of each. Great for serious speed freaks.

Sprint Rally is very spectator friendly as the track is in a closed loop. It allows for some fantastic action viewing and shooting. Tight turns and “yumps” add to the excitement which can easily viewed from spectating areas right next to the track.

Nikhil Jaspal, Gulpreet Aulakh, along with Sudev Barar, are also the owners of UNCAGED, the first especially crafted off-roading track in the region open to the general public. Uncaged, spread over 40 acres in Dera Bassi, Uncaged is a trail-blazing track for times when the tarmac is just not enough, and motorsport lovers look for both speed and challenges for their mean machines, and driving skills are tested to the extreme.

UNCAGED is in the process of developing a closed circuit track for holding Speed Sprint near Chandigarh. The site is accessible easily from other main centers of the region like Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Ambala etc. The region is most prosperous and has most enthusiastic and adventurous populace.